According to the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor^SM , sixty-one percent of consumers are   heading into the holiday season planning to spend less on holiday gifts compared to 2010.

So, how can you make it a “Happy” Holiday?

• Push more marketing activities!  Offering a holiday loan?  Reduced rate on credit card purchases? Maybe no payments for 90 days for an auto loan?  Think that no one does anything during the holidays?  Well, for busy, stressed-out consumers, the holidays offers a little more time to get things done.  Have specials ready to give customers/members a reason to do business with you!
• Keep communicating to your customers/members. Investing in protecting your position in the mind of consumers is critical in this economy because to be “out of sight” means you will be “out of mind.”  There is too much competition popping into email inboxes, advertising on TV and online, and in the mailbox. Cutting expenses is necessary in a down economy, but to disappear from consumer view may mean you are considered out of business!  Plus, you may never recover market share that is lost during a “dark” marketing period.
• Buy into the “Happy” in Happy Holidays!  Play holiday music, have Santa visit or give out candy canes, decorate the outside of your offices/branches and interior bright lights and holiday decorations.  Why?  If consumers are stressed out, create the ambiance of the safe haven place to do business.  Appeal to the consumer’s hopefulness by avoiding the austerity of denying extra costs for holiday lights or fun touches like candy canes.

What are you going to do to create the “happy” holiday for your customers/members?